How, Where, When and Why
by PaperKat
Summary: Ashley remembers what it means to be a friend.


Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers in general and PRiS specially. I blame everyone but me for this and you should too. Inspired by Starhawk's latest chapter of 'First Love' Butterfly though I tried to be specifically vague, but now that I've told you you'll probably notice. 

How, Where, When and Why

By Kat Mayes, PaperKat

Ashley squeezed her way past the bay doors as soon as there was enough space for her to get by, annoyed that she'd had to slow her pace at all for the passage to open. She tersely called for the lights to brighten to daylight level and roughly yanked a toolbox from its labeled resting-place in the wall. She felt her shoulder muscles protest when she let the heavy container snap her arm straight instead of lowering it slowly and then ignored it.

Using the anger driven adrenaline that had kept her up most of the night, Ashley hauled the normally too heavy equipment over to the scanning array that wasn't scheduled for full re-calibration until next week. She flipped open the lid and pulled out the Gripper that was designed to open the panel over the main control board. Ashley pressed the tool to the center of the panel and savagely hit the switch to active it. With a hum and a click the metal came loose and was lifted out of the way impatiently.

Thankfully it was a simple enough matter to hook up the diagnostic scanner and set it to work analyzing the array, because right now Ashley wasn't in the mood for too much thinking. She had had enough of that last night. All she wanted was not to think, not to feel. Unfortunately the slowly blinking 'Processing' on the view screen of the scanner wasn't enough to distract her or her anger.

Wanting to find some other meaningless task to occupy her thoughts, Ashley reached blindly into the toolbox for a Flow scanner and was startled when her fingertips encountered something soft, cool and slightly damp. She pulled her hand back while at the same time turning to see what she had touched. Lying on top of the tools was a single long red stem with four perfect orchid-like blooms attached to it.

So taken in by their beauty, Ashley didn't immediately question it being there and instead she delicately picked up the flower to examine it more closely. It was even more breath taking in person than it had been in the holo-image she had viewed last month. Each blossom center was a deep peach that lightened gradually to a pale golden yellow on the edges of the fragile petals. The misty dew that clung to the velvet-textured flowers emphasized the tiny scarlet freckles that spilled out of the mouth and onto the lower petals. Ashley knew from what she had read that the flowers had no scent, but she was still tempted to try it anyway. 

As she raised the stalk to test the flowers, Ashley remembered that there shouldn't be any flowers at all, at least there hadn't been any there a minute ago. She quickly glanced around taking in the equipment filled, sterile room and saw nothing out of place. Could they have been teleported there without her hearing the tale-tell hum? She had been rather consumed with her own efforts to block out reality; maybe it had gone unnoticed.

There was only one person and one reason that this present was here. Upon remembering what or more specifically whom she had been trying to ignore, Ashley had the urge to throw the obvious peace offering away from her. Did he really think that some flowers were going make her forget what he had said? Ashley tossed the flowers on top of the panel she was working on, unwilling to destroy something so beautiful, but equally unwilling to let it sway her from her chosen course. 

Ashley wasn't going to think about him, not his name, not his image and she certainly wasn't going to think about what his careless words had done to her. She was just going to carry on today like he never existed and if she had to get up at 3am, skip breakfast and hide in the cargo bay, then so be it.

She was mad and she was going to stay mad until she decided not to be mad anymore. She wasn't 'Never talk to you again' mad but she was upset all the same, and rightfully so. He had had no right to have done what he did or say what he had said. Ashley knew that she was probably more embarrassed than truly angry, but that didn't change the fact that she had silently cried most of the night.

Resolving to remain unchanged by the gift, Ashley resumed working on the array. The diagnostic was complete and there were several sensor relays that needed realigning. She clipped the Scanner to the top of the opened junction where she could easily see the read outs as she made the adjustments. Fishing out the two required tools for the job, Ashley made every effort to concentrate solely on her work, but the flowers wouldn't be ignored.

Every time she looked up at the display there they were hovering over the edge, looking at her. Hadn't she thrown them farther back on the panel? Ashley frowned as she tried to block out their view by letting her hair fall partially over her eyes, but even behind that curtain it was hard not to notice such a lively splash of color in the otherwise gray environment.

__

Where had he gotten them anyway? she thought irritably, twisting the glowing rod in her right hand too quickly forcing her to use the one in her left hand to bring the reading back to center. It wasn't like a common florist was likely to have any on hand anywhere in the system. And why that particular variety? Roses would have been a more traditional 'I'm sorry I was an idiot' gift, but they probably would have been just as hard to come by. 

Had he been listening when she had said they were the most stunning flowers she had ever seen? Had he even been in the room? Ashley stopped for a moment to remember who had been with her when she had looked up why plant life on different planets seemed to be so similar. She couldn't remember anyone specific around while she had scanned through the information on her data pad complete with pictures of examples.

Determined to get through the re-calibration, Ashley continued on with her work. She glared at the blossoms as they gazed sweetly back at her, moisture like tears on the soft petals. Now she knew that she was being silly. The flowers hadn't actually done anything. They were just a pawn in the hands of a very skilled enchanter, and if he thought he was going to charm his way out of this, he had another thing coming. 

Pretending ignorance of 'Earthling' ways wasn't going to get him any slack this time. He should have known better, in fact he _had_ known better. They had had that discussion or ones just like it dozens of times before, why this time he had chosen put that spin on it just for a cheap laugh was beyond her. It had hurt like an open palm smack across her face and the sting was still there and so were the tears apparently. Ashley wiped the moister from her eyes so that she could see the last relay to align.

Task finally completed Ashley entered it into the maintenance log inside the panel then unclipped the Scanner and put it away. Realizing that she would crush the flowers where they were if she tried to put the panel back into place, she took them gently down and placed them on top of the opened toolbox. Once the covering was back in place and the Gripper returned to the box, Ashley contemplated what to do with the offering. 

It seemed a shame to just let them wilt and die just because she was mad at him. She fingered the waxy surface of the stem and watched the dew droplets shimmy on the petals. They were really quite lovely, and Ashley found a smile spreading across her lips despite herself.

"Does this mean that you're at least thinking about forgiving me?"

Ashley was very proud of the way she didn't jump when his quiet voice filled the silent room. She didn't say anything right away, her first inclination was to leave without even acknowledging his presence, but the softness of his voice gave her pause. She had never heard him sound so small.

"I didn't know that forgiveness was asked for." She told him neutrally, and it hadn't been. She hadn't seen or heard from him since she had stiffly walked out of his room the night before.

"Would you have listened if I had asked?"

Ashley didn't answer and he must not have expected her to because he continued on without hesitating. 

"I got those for your birthday. I had them in stasis, but I figured that I ought to pull out all the stops if I ever expected you to talk to me again."

The self-incrimination in his voice startled Ashley enough that she turned to look at him. While his uniforms were never immaculate they were at least fresh everyday, but the one he had on now looked like it had been slept in. His pale hair had a distinctly unkempt look instead of its normal artfully wild appearance. The overall air he gave was of someone that was suffering and it cut straight to her heart.

The timid, unsure smile that was so out of place on his ordinarily cheerful face never reached his eyes. Silver blue eyes that showed every corner of his soul were cast in a puppy-dog expression so reminiscent of Andros it was almost comical. She wondered briefly who had come up with it first.

Ashley found herself fidgeting under his hopeful regard and she dropped her gaze. She twirled the flowers in her hand by their common stem. Her birthday was still a month away but apparently it was important enough to plan ahead for, even though it wasn't something they celebrated on KO-35.

With an internal sigh she realized that it didn't matter that her own feelings were raw and he had been the cause. It didn't matter that she was still licking her wounds. Whatever else they would ever be to each other, they were still friends first and Ashley could never stand to see another in pain. Wasn't that why she had been hiding? To keep herself from saying something that she'd regret later. But there in lied the dilemma. 

To comfort him would imply that she had forgiven him and she wasn't sure she had yet. To let go of her anger without an apology seemed to belittle her own pain, like it wasn't as important as his, but did someone really have to apologize for the way that they felt? It wasn't his fault that his feelings had hurt her own. The silence must have gotten to him because he started pulling at his fingers and shuffling his feet. 

"Ash, I'm sorr…"

Ashley cut him off by placing her hands on top of his. They were friends and friends forgive, without question and sometimes without being asked. With her free hand she gently untangled his fingers and laced hers though his. He returned her gentle squeeze with equal pressure, but didn't let up when she did.

"It's alright, Zhane. It just isn't easy for someone to hear about their shortcomings."

"I didn't mean…argh!" 

At Zhane's very clear groan of frustration Ashley looked up to see him shaking his head ruefully. "I should have known that you were going to take that the wrong way."

She narrowed her eyes at him, the feeling of anger returning. "How else was I suppose to take it?"

The charmer's smile was back as his eyes lit up with some kind of inner sight, some secret that everyone should know, but didn't. "Do you realize how well you fit?"

His words robbed her of breath and lodged her heart in her throat though she didn't really know why.

"Forgive me?" The boyishly playfulness was back when he winked at her. Ashley grinned in return, but she wasn't quite ready to fall into the easy teasing dialogue they seemed to share.

"Nothing to forgive."

Zhane sighed and his seldom-used somber expression replaced his easygoing one. "Yeah, there is. I hurt your feelings last night, Ash, and that was not my intention." He looked down at their still joined hands. "I think that maybe it wasn't ready for that conversation to get so serious and I spoke without thinking."

"I guess I'm going to have to get used to that, aren't I?"

Ashley let the implications of that statement hang where they would and returned Zhane's grin. "So, you forgive me?"

She couldn't help but laugh. "You certainly have a one track mind."

"It usually gets me what I want." He replied with a shrug.

"Oh, really?" She asked her eyebrows raised in challenge, more than willing to play now that the sobriety in the room had dissipated. But, Ashley had forgotten that she was only a novice to the master.

Zhane immediately dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around her upper legs and hips preventing her from getting away. He looked up at her with the most exaggerated teary-eyed look she had ever seen. 

"Please, Ashley Hammond! You have to forgive me! I can't go on another moment without your divine absolution!"

Ashley tried frantically to push him away, but he only held on tighter. She wildly looked around to make sure that they were alone. It was highly unlikely that anyone else would be up or even in this area for several hours yet, that's why she had chosen it to hide, but people always seemed to show up when they were least expected. With a fiery blush staining her cheeks, Ashley threw her hands up in defeat. 

"Fine! I forgive you, are you done now?"

Zhane let go so fast that she stumbled backwards. He gave her a carefully bland expression. "Yeah, that pretty much covers it."

She kneed him lightly in the chest, causing him to fall back on his rear. "You are impossible!"

"But you wouldn't have me any other way, right?"

Ashley's only rolled her eyes at him before she walked away. She heard him scramble to his feet and follow her to the door. She put her flowers to her nose and quickly realized that even though they had no scent they were the sweetest gift she could have received.

End


End file.
